Tantalisers
by GemmaH
Summary: My flash fic responses to the twenty-five picture prompts in Round 8 of the Twilight 25, running. Each one stands alone and is not part of a single multi-chapter story. Characters listed at the top of each chapter for that particular piece.
1. Chapter 1

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 1

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward x Bella, Carlisle x Esme

Rating: K

Word count: 497

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

"You know his bed hasn't been slept in again?" Carlisle says, as he saunters into the kitchen, hands working to fasten the knot in his tie. His words confuse me.

"Are you sure?" I ask him, frowning a little as I fill two mugs from the coffee pot. "His car's on the driveway."

"It is?" He's already walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway. I hear him open the front door as I lift the plates for breakfast down from the cupboard. He's barely gone for half a minute when I hear him calling me. His voice is strained and I feel my heart leap in my chest, as the sudden fear that something has happened to Edward consumes me.

"Esme? Come see this." I hurry out to see what has him so rattled.

He's standing beside Edward's car, his hands on his hips. He gestures to the back window as I approach, shaking his head as he begins to pace in a circle. The glass is partly misted up, but peering through a clear spot I can see our son on the back seat, fast asleep and wrapped around the also sleeping form of Isabella Swan.

"Of all the stupid things…" Carlisle begins.

I'm not mad at Edward, as my husband is. I'm disappointed that he's been this stupid again, especially after the long talk we had about his nineteen year old self dating the seventeen year old daughter of the town's Police Chief, but I'm not mad. How could I possibly be angry when I sat and listened to him tell me how much he loves the girl?

A car pulls up at the kerbside. My heart sinks as I read _Forks Police_ printed in blue on the side of the car as Chief Swan climbs out.

"Carlisle," I call out, with a nod in the direction of the approaching figure. He looks up, his shoulders slumping as he realises the situation just got a whole lot worse.

"Doctor Cullen. Esme," Chief Swan greets us as he approaches. It's hard not to notice the dark circles beneath his eyes that match mine and Carlisle's. We're obviously not the only ones being driven to distraction by the two sleeping teenagers in the car beside us. "Bella's not been home. If she's spent the night with Edward again I'm going to have to send her back to live with her mother. I can't do this anymore." He rubs his face and I feel for the man.

Carlisle shifts; he's put himself between Chief Swan and the car window.

"Edward's asleep in his room, Chief," Carlisle says, the lie slipping easily from his tongue. "I'll have him call you as soon as he wakes up."

"I'd appreciate it," he replies as he turns and leaves.

"You lied," I hiss disapprovingly as he drives away. Carlisle shrugs.

"That's the last time I protect him; this stops right here, Esme."

He reaches down and yanks the door open.


	2. Chapter 2

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 2

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward x Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 483

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

I'm so absorbed in the memories, I don't know he's home until the bedroom door opens. I jump, feeling the guilt rush through me as he pauses in the doorway and looks down at me cross-legged on the floor.

"You're still here," he mumbles as he moves again, walking over to the other side of the room and pulling a t-shirt from a drawer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be; the box broke as I lifted it down." I look up to the top of the closet as I sit in front of its open door, old photographs scattered around me like autumn leaves. "I guess I got distracted picking them up." I look away as he unbuttons his shirt, focusing instead on gathering the snapshots of my life. I reach up with each one and add it to an untidy stack on the bed, keeping my head down and trying not to look at the images as I pick them up. I don't want him to see the tears they elicit.

The pile topples over as he sits down on the bed beside it. I stop what I'm doing and watch as he plucks a picture from the bed and smiles. It's not the way he used to smile; his lips are curved up but his eyes barely wrinkle. Still, it's more than I've seen from him in a while.

"Look at Em's hair," he says as he holds the image up for me to see. His brother is in the background, facing away from the camera. "He begged my mom to let him try and grow that damn rat tail. He thought he looked so cool!" He chuckles and I smile at the memory.

"Emmett _always_ thinks he looks cool," I point out. Edward nods in agreement. As he looks away to pick up another photo, my eyes begin to fill again, as I wonder what my life will be like without the Cullens in it. We have so much history. Maybe too much.

I realize he's been motionless for a while and I wonder what he's found. I move gently to sit beside him, a few of the photos fluttering back to the floor as the mattress dips. I rest my head on his shoulder as I recognize the scene. The two of us are around eight years old and we're standing side by side, holding hands with cheesy grins on our faces. His grandparents are behind us, his grandfather's hand on my shoulder and his grandmother's on his, their free arms wrapped around one another. It was their 50th wedding anniversary.

"What went wrong for us, Bella?" he asks. "How did they manage fifty years of marriage and we're burned out after ten?"

I don't answer because I can't; I have no idea either. Instead I take his hand and squeeze it, because that's what best friends do.


	3. Chapter 3

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 3

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Jacob, Edward x Bella,

Rating: K

Word Count: 488

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

I curse loudly as I round the bend on my motorcycle and see her. She's lying on her back in the middle of the road, hands behind her head, looking for all the world as though she's relaxing on her bed.

I drop my speed right down and pull in at the side of the road across from her, cutting the engine and flicking the kick-stand up as I swing my leg over the bike and hurry to her.

"What the hell are you doing, Bells?" I demand. She turns her head slightly to look up at me, squinting for a moment before her face suddenly lights up.

"Hey, Jake!" she says, a huge grin on her face. I kneel beside her and begin to wrap a hand around her arm so I can haul her to her feet.

"Get the hell out of the road, have you lost your mind?" I ask, my eyes nervously darting between the obviously drunk girl in the road, and the blind bend a short distance away. It's a quiet street, but the cars that do choose to come this way tend to be fast moving.

She shrugs me off but wraps her own hands around my arm and tugs on it.

"Lie down here with me, it'll be like The Notebook," she says, giggling. I fight to free myself from her surprisingly tight grip.

"What? The end, where they die together?" I ask, derisively. She pouts and grabs my t-shirt, pulling me down to her.

"I'm talking romance, Jacob. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it; I've seen the way you look at me."

"Bella!" The voice that calls for her from the direction of her house is familiar. I turn in time to see Edward appear, his white t-shirt pulled tightly across his chest, the definition of his torso clear below the fabric. He stops when he sees us in the middle of the street. I expect his notorious temper to explode, but instead he throws back his head and laughs. "What the fuck are you doing, you crazy bitch?" he asks. I prickle at his words, but the affection is clear in his voice and I know he didn't intend it to offend. He walks over, taking his time and chuckling all the way. Bella's giggles are back, and when I try again to lift her to her feet and hand her over to him, her knees buckle and he catches her, making them both laugh harder.

I shake my head and turn away, eager to distance myself from them.

"You're not saying 'bye, Jake?" Edward calls. I ignore him as I climb on my bike and kick it to life.

"Ignore him, he's just jealous," I hear her say.

She's right of course. I turn and watch him walk away and wonder what they'd say if they knew it wasn't Edward I was jealous of, but her.


	4. Chapter 4

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 4

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward x Bella,

Rating: K

Word Count: 499

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Can I get a light?" My eyes trail up, my gaze clinging to her legs just as tightly as the skinny jeans she's wearing, skimming over her equally snug bar t-shirt and up into her face. She's hot.

_And young_.

She's old enough.

_Yeah, to be your daughter._

I quash my internal dialogue, until its depressing ramblings are just white noise in my sub-conscious.

"Sure." I hold my lighter out and flick it to life with my thumb, watching as she leans in. The light from the dancing orange flame tickles her flawless skin. She sucks on the cigarette, her plump lips wrapped around the filter, until the tip begins to glow. She backs away and I let the flame die, watching mesmerized as she pulls the cigarette from her mouth, turns her head to the side, tips it back and expels the smoke into the cool, dark air.

"You guys were great tonight," she tells me, fixing me with her big, brown eyes. "I have no idea how you never made the big time." She fidgets as she speaks.

"Thanks." I'm flattered, yet stung at the insinuation we're washed up. She's unaware she's said anything wrong. I guess she hasn't really, it's all just bad timing; Jasper's been talking about calling it a day because he thinks we're getting too old.

"I've always wanted to learn the guitar." She holds the cigarette between her lips and mimes playing, squinting her eyes at the smoke drifting up into them.

"You should," I tell her, encouragingly.

"Can't afford it," she says, her breath catching as she tries simultaneously to speak and hold the smoke in her lungs. She lets it out. "This place barely covers my bills." She takes one last drag and drops the cigarette on the floor, grinding it out with her black sneaker.

"I'm back in town for a few weeks, I can get you started," I say.

"For free?" I can see the scepticism in her eyes.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about teaching guitar when we're done with the band," I confess. "You'd be doing me a favour; I can see if it's for me."

"That would be awesome! I'll give you my number." She produces a pen, but the only paper she has is a folded flyer for tonight's gig, with a picture of the band on it. She grimaces. "I actually really wanted to keep this," she says, glancing shyly up at me and biting her lip.

"No worries, I'll give you mine." I take the pen and begin to scrawl the digits.

"Bella, your ride's here," a figure silhouetted at the fire door calls out. We both turn as a woman emerges.

"I won't be a minute, mom," she says, as the woman walks over. As she steps into the light cast by the window behind us, my jaw drops.

"Renee?"

I've not seen her in twenty years, since she walked out on my best friend, taking their daughter with her.

"Hi, Edward."


	5. Chapter 5

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 5

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 497

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"On your marks…" He turns me to face him, resting his hands on my hips. I giggle in anticipation as I sneak a look at Alice and Jasper to my left. She raises an eyebrow but doesn't smile. She loves a good competition.

"Get set…" He moves his right leg back and leans forward slightly, his fingers tensing and digging into me.

"GO!" Edward bends and pushes into me, forcing the most shamefully girlie squeal from my throat, as he flings me over his shoulder and moves forward. A heady mixture of exhilaration and terror take over me as I watch the rich green grass sweeping past below. I cling on to him for all I'm worth, my head bobbing in time with the rhythm of his feet.

"We're gonna hand you your ass, Cullen!" Jasper calls out as Alice lets out a whoop. I can hear them thundering along beside us, but I can't see them from my less than perfect vantage point.

"Yeah!" Jasper yells loudly as we finally slow. Edward leans forward to set me back on my feet, but I topple back disorientated, and he falls on top of me. We're both giggling madly, faces just inches apart. The laughter dies, but we don't move. He's watching me with an intensity that sparks a fire somewhere deep inside me, and I realize my breathlessness can't be blamed on the excitement of the race alone.

"I can't believe you let them win again!" My best friend Jess is standing beside us and I wrench my eyes from his. I look up at her and try desperately to hide the fact that I just had a 'moment' with her boyfriend. Edward lifts himself lazily off me and then reaches down, offering me his hand to help me up. As soon as I'm on my feet I drop his hand, wiping my palms off on my denim-clad thighs. I'm shaken and it's not helped by the way Edward keeps looking at me. I need a minute to myself.

"I'm going to grab a soda." I nod to the kiosk across the park. "Anyone want anything?" My friends call out a lengthy order, and I repeat it back to make sure I have it right.

"I'll come with you, Bella. You'll need a hand carrying everything," Edward says. My heart leaps as I watch him lope over.

"Baby, can you grab me something sweet to eat?" I look at Jess and see the doe-eyed way she looks at him. I'm a terrible friend for letting myself feel the things I'm feeling right now.

"Sure," he tells her, walking backwards for a moment before he turns to stroll beside me.

We're both silent as we retrace our route from earlier, but when we're definitely out of ear-shot, he speaks.

After, I kind of wish he hadn't said anything, because as I look over my group of friends as we return, I know nothing will be the same again.


	6. Chapter 6

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 6

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 497

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Oh my God, Edward! Sit down, right now!" She screams as my precarious clambering makes the boat rock dramatically. I laugh at her, getting a kick from the terror in her eyes and the colour draining from her pink cheeks as she grips the wooden sides. I've spent hours in these little rowing boats over the years, I know for a fact what will and won't make them tip; Emmett and I spent most of our teens trying to submerge one another. We're perfectly safe, but I shift my body weight enough to force a string of expletives from her mouth for good measure.

"Relax, I won't let you get wet." I sit back down and lean towards her, nuzzling her neck until I feel the tension begin to leave her. She giggles. "What?"

"Nothing," she insists, but the way the colour has returned to her face and she avoids looking directly at me, makes me realise where her mind went. She's such a fucking delicious mix of dirty and sweet.

I smile at her as I retrieve the oars and begin to row over to the ruins of the castle that stands grandly in the middle of the water. This was a defensive moat before it was recreated as a duck pond come boating lake for the masses. How fickle and cruel, time can be.

I row around the building, knowing it well thanks to my mis-spent youth here. While it looks perfectly preserved from the front, there's a place tucked away from public view where the stone has crumbled with age. I manoeuvre the boat close enough to jump out, rope in hand, and tether it to a large, discarded stone.

"Come on." I encourage Bella, holding a hand out for her to grab. She stands unsteadily, swaying as she works to hold her balance. My fingers wrap around hers as she steps out onto the ruins beside me.

We walk quietly, hand in hand, our feet creating small dust-clouds in the loose earth. I turn and smile at her as I point towards the opening that leads into the tower.

"Shall we…?" She smiles and her eyes trace the stonework up to the very top.

"Is it safe?"

"I'm sure it is." I tug on her hand and pull her into the dank and chilly gloom. The spiral stairs aren't wide enough to walk side by side, so I step aside to let her go first. If she loses her footing I'll be here to catch her.

As we emerge into the sunlight, I gasp at the view and laugh brightly.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful it was up here!" She smiles widely at me and then lowers herself to the floor, tracing the stonework of the wall.

"Here! It's still here!"

I get down beside her and examine our initials carved into the stone.

"I remember that day." I reach out and cup her face, kissing her gently. "I'm so glad you said yes."


	7. Chapter 7

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 7

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 499

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

The path is sticky beneath my feet, the muddy surface worn into the grass by hundreds of pairs of shoes, squelching slightly with each step. It's a strange kind of cold, here beneath the trees. The mist clings low to the ground, holding a chill that curls around you, seeping through your clothes until it touches your skin. Still not satisfied, it sinks deeper, right to your bones, until you're frozen to your very core. I shiver, not for the first time, and reach back to pull my hood up over my head. It makes me feel vulnerable as it steals away my peripheral vision, but the damp makes me feel worse.

If I could fly (don't judge me, my mind wanders randomly around when I'm alone like this), I'd take off right now. I'd soar up… through the grey dampness until I burst out into the sunlight on the other side. I know it's there; I can see it, taunting me in the brightness of the cloud above.

Fucking tease. Just like her.

She sticks to me too, like this mud. A single moment with her and she's with me for the day. I can try and wipe my feet of her, absorbing myself in something else, but no matter how much I proverbially swipe against the coir matting of life, tiny pieces of her remain stuck in the corners of the tread of my soul. A sole for a soul. How apt. I snort quietly at the pun, despite the way the subject matter depresses me.

Voices reach me through the gloom. _Meet me at the old bandstand_, she said. _I'll come alone, it'll be just you and me._

Another lie. I add it to the list in my head, but a door slams on it and my heart leaps in front, trying to hide it from view.

_Nothing of consequence to see here,_ it urges. _Move along now._

"Edward!" She sees me before I can make out anything more than a series of shapes. I walk closer, and I can see her then as she skips down the steps and comes to meet me.

"You said you'd be alone." I pull her to one side by her sleeve, placing myself between them and her.

"They're my friends." The disapproval rings loudly in her tone. I've spoken five words and already she's pissed at me. This is how it always goes.

I'm fired up from seeing her, but I'm tired of the bullshit. I want to grab her, kiss her, cut loose and walk away. I want to tell her I love her, tell her I hate her. She makes me feel alive and she makes me want to break things. She takes and doesn't give back.

She fills my heart and drains my soul.

"Do you want to carry on?" she demands. I have no idea whether she means the argument or the relationship.

I flinch and the iciness reaches deeper into my bones. Do I?


	8. Chapter 8

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 8

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 500

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Hey, who's the new pianist?" I slip behind the bar, tying my apron around my waist. It's quiet tonight, so I allow myself the luxury of letting my eyes rest on him as he plays.

He sits with his head dipped, his fingers dancing gracefully across the keys of the baby grand. His hair is untamed and what I can see of his face is damn-near perfect; he's a definite improvement on the sixty year old former resident of the piano stool.

"I have no idea." Mike pauses as he slices a lemon at the back of the bar and glances over his shoulder at the guy. "He was already here when I arrived."

"Are you okay?" I ask him as he pulls at the neck of his shirt.

"I don't know. Is it hot in here?"

The music changes and I look back toward the piano.

"Fly Me to the Moon," I murmur.

"Huh?" Mike throws me a puzzled look.

"The song he's playing. It was my Gran's favorite." I don't have more than a minute to reminisce, as a group of people enter the bar from the lobby.

When things quieten down again, I notice Mike is deathly pale, a sheen of sweat on his face.

"Mike, go home," I order him. "I can call some back up in if I need it." He doesn't even argue.

Thirty minutes later when the last customer leaves, I close up the doors to the lounge and wander to the piano, where the pianist is still playing.

"Hey, everyone left, you know?" He glances up at me, but the music doesn't stop or falter for his lack of attention.

"Not everybody. You're still here."

"Only because I have to be. I'm not here for the atmosphere, so please don't feel you have to carry on for my benefit." I offer him a smile as I turn to walk away.

"Ah, come on. Are you saying the sound of my music doesn't do it for you?" I stop and turn abruptly, a disbelieving giggle bursting from my mouth.

"You did not just say that." He finally stops playing and runs a hand through his hair as he flashes me a self-conscious smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually that corny." He's even cuter when he's embarrassed.

"Can I get you a drink?" I ask.

"That would be great. What's your speciality?"

I sigh.

"This is the part where you try to get me to say that I'm great at Orgasms, right?"

He laughs.

"A whiskey sour would be great."

* * *

Last night's memories leave a smile on my face as I walk into work.

"What time's the pianist starting?" I ask Eric.

"He's not, we don't have a replacement yet."

I frown.

"Are you sure?" Eric holds the glass he's polishing, up to the light.

"Of course I'm sure, I _am _the bar manager."

"Then who…?" I touch my still-swollen lips.

They're the only proof I have right now that I didn't imagine him.

* * *

_**Thanks to Chocaholic123 for beta'ing :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 9

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 484

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"You're hurting me," I whisper to him as I wiggle my hand; or try to in his vice-like grip. He glances down. His fingers are turning white where he grips me, while mine are turning reddish-purple.

"Sorry," he murmurs, loosening his hold, but not letting go.

He twists his arm a little to check his watch. "She's late. She said two thirty."

"I'm sure she'll be here," I say. I wonder if that's the truth; that I _am_ sure? I have no idea. I don't know what kind of person she is. I find it strange that there exists this huge part of his past that I know nothing about, and I wonder if that means there's also a huge part of him that I don't know. I guess it does, and accepting this realization makes me sad.

Another five minutes pass slowly by. People hurry past us, unaware that, as they rush around, we sit suspended in a parallel universe where time creeps by at half its normal speed.

I scan every face that goes by, unsure why when I have no idea what features I'm even looking for. Even as I think this though, I know I've found her. She's a short distance from our bench, but she's seen us too. Or rather, seen _him; _I'm as unfamiliar to her as she is to me. And yet, I think even if she'd tried to sneak past us - if she'd lost her nerve and strode on by, praying he'd keep his head down, eyes on our linked hands as they are now, I'd have known her.

She's so like him.

It's not just her features, although he so clearly inherited many of them from her, but the way she moves and the intelligent awareness in her startlingly green eyes.

She moves hesitantly now, so I offer a small smile to encourage her forwards. His fingers tighten around my hand once again. I turn my head and his eyes, identical to hers, flit between me and his mother, the muscle in his jaw flexing.

"Never smile at a crocodile, Bella," he says, his voice tight with warning as he stands, ready to greet her. "Not unless you like being scarred."

He unconsciously reaches up and rubs the deep, shiny red mark that runs through his right eyebrow; the one whose origin he's never quite been able to explain adequately to me.

And I know.

I turn to her again, but I have no smile for her this time. He lets go of my hand as he gets up from the bench, and as I rise to stand beside him I fumble for it until I have it in my own again.

_Don't worry_, I try to convey, as I gently squeeze him. _I'm here. She can't hurt you now._

He looks down at me.

"I know," he whispers as he gently squeezes back.


	10. Chapter 10

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 10

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward, Bella

Rating: K

Word Count: 495

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

To hell with wishes.

Is it possible to cancel a wish out if you make it more than once? If I hadn't tried so hard and wished that second time when I was sitting at the beach bonfire and the shooting star flashed across the sky, if maybe things would be different by now? Or when the Marks' black cat darted across the street in front of my truck and forced me to slam my foot on the brake to avoid plastering it all over the black top? It definitely had luck on its side.

Do wishing-well wishes take a long time to come to fruition, or do I give up hope? Five years seems an awfully long time to wait.

This isn't an accurate snapshot of me, by the way. I'm not superstitious by nature, but sometimes, when the alternative is to give up all faith, we'll cling to whatever ridiculous sliver of hope we can.

I thought they'd all moved on permanently. That's what I heard around town. I guess I was never going to hear it from the horse's mouth after everything that went on.

And this is the exact reason why, when I spot a familiar figure ahead of me on the main street, I convince myself I'm seeing things. But no, he's instantly recognisable; tall, slim and an unmistakeable shock of bronze hair. He stops, attention caught by something in a store front. I slow down as much as I dare without tripping anyone up or drawing attention to myself. Still, it's not nearly slow enough and just as I consider ducking into the next doorway I come to, he turns to enter the store. To do this he has to face me, and the moment he does, I'm right in his line of vision. He falters, but something about him lights up, as recognition sweeps across his face.

He greets me warmly, making a point of asking how I am, what I've been doing, filling me in on his own life. There's only one thing I want to hear from him, but he avoids it, carefully circumnavigating, the way you might edge carefully around a deep puddle on the sidewalk. In the end I crack and just ask.

"Edward, how's Em?" He just looks at me, and if I wasn't so desperate for any snippet of news, I might regret asking.

"He's good." I can hear the hesitation in his voice and I know there must be more he's not telling me.

"Is he…?"

"He married Rosalie."

He looks like he might say more, but he stops and bites back whatever words were dancing on his lips, waiting to be spoken.

_It should have been me, _I think. I'm still bitter. I regret never wishing that away.

"It should have been me," he blurts. I don't know, of the two of us, who is more shocked.

"With Rosalie?" I ask. A shake of the head.

"No, Bella. With you."


	11. Chapter 11

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 11

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Alice, Bella, Edward, Jasper

Rating: K

Word Count: 495

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Sheesh, Alice, I'm cooking in here!" she says to me. I glance across. She's leaning out of the window, letting the wind whip her hair back from her face so it flows behind her like a stream of chocolate-brown ribbons. Her eyes are closed and a blissed-out look adorns her face. I smile; it's good to see the stress of the last few months disappear from her features. She ducks back inside the car and her head appears beside mine as she leans forward. "Thank you," she says. I don't reply, just reach my right arm across in front of her and cup her cheek with my hand.

Something catches my eye at the side of the road up ahead. We've been driving through the dusty red barrenness for so long now, that a change to the nothingness is patently obvious before you can even make out what it is.

As we draw closer I can see it's a car, hood raised. A figure leans languidly back against the side of it, all classic blue jeans and white t-shirt. I slow without even giving any thought to it.

"Damn," Bella breathes reverently, right next to my ear.

"Damn indeed," I agree, veering to the right and pulling over.

"Honey trap for lonely women?" She sounds far from concerned. I laugh quietly.

He's straightening up, pushing away from the car and looking right at us, a crooked grin coming lazily to life.

"Well if it_ is_ a trap, what a way to go," I murmur, pushing the door open.

"Thank fuck," he says. "You're the first car we've seen in over two hours." He runs his hands through his hair and I glance at Bella. She's gone. Not literally, she's still standing right beside me, but she's swooning pitifully over the handsome stranger.

"We?" I ask.

"My friend Jasper. He went to see if he can get any phone reception." He gestures off to the expanse of reddish dirt at the side of the road, where a figure approaches.

"Nothing," he calls as he gets closer. "I see you're having better luck, though." He's tall, and perfectly built, but not bulky. His hair is blond, and it's strange because I never go for blonds. Ever. But him? I don't know… something just draws me in.

Bella has apparently been rendered mute by white t-shirt guy, who coincidentally is named Edward, so I do the decent thing and offer them a ride to the nearest town. It's an hour and a half away, they tell me. As Jasper loads the last of their stuff into the trunk and Edward slides into the back seat beside Bella, Jasper ducks his face towards me.

"Where are you ladies headin', anyway?" he asks, a southern twang unmistakable in his accent. I shrug.

"We're looking for an adventure," I tell him, slamming the trunk down.

"Well, Alice" he says, his hand brushing my waist as he moves past me. "It looks like you just found one."


	12. Chapter 12

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 12

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 495

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

He pushes me through the door, glancing back to make sure it's swinging closed behind us before he bulldozes me into the wall opposite. The banging beat of the music fades as the door settles closed, and his mouth zeroes in on my own.

"I knew it was you," he gasps as he breaks away. It's the first time I've heard his voice in seven years, but every part of me remembers.

"Shit." I push him away, but he takes a step toward me again, stopping just inches away. My whole body is buzzing from his presence as I struggle to rearrange my clothes, pulling my skirt back down where it has ridden up and straightening my top. He reaches for me and cups my face in his large, capable hands. I reach up and wrap my fingers around his forearms in response. "No. You're not doing this to me again."

"Bella—"

"I'm not eighteen anymore, Edward. I'm not the same person. Please, just head back through that door."

He watches me carefully with an intensity he perfected a long time ago. I look away as the muscle in his perfect jaw pulses when he clenches and releases it, over and over. Eventually he lowers his hands and I release my hold on him. He's bluffing though; he's not finished with me yet. He ghosts his hands down over my body, skimming my breasts and then lower until he's gripping my hips. His fingers are hot on my cool, exposed skin and I have no control over the desperate sound that leaks from my mouth as he yanks me to him and ducks down to nip at my neck. I grip him tightly as he leans into me, so far I worry I'll topple backward. He takes it as a sign I'm enjoying myself, and reaches beneath my ass, lifting me up, trying to entice my legs around his waist as he leans me against the breath-stealing cold of the wall. I protest, pushing against him with my hands and kicking out with my legs until he lets me drop to the ground.

My eyes are misted with tears when he looks at me.

"I'd never hurt you, Bella. I promise." He angles toward me and his kiss this time is soft. If I hadn't kept my eyes open, I'd have wondered if it had really happened or not. He pulls back a little and looks at me. I look back, neither discouraging nor inviting. He leans in again and bewitches me with his lips, as he has so many times before.

The doors swing open and the space is flooded with music, as a bartender carries a crate of rattling empty bottles in and dumps it down. Edward turns to look and I take my chance, tearing away and racing up the stark staircase proclaiming itself the emergency exit.

I tell myself this is a legitimate emergency. I need to get away from here.


	13. Chapter 13

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 13

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Alice, EdwardRating: K

Word Count: 458

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

I saw them together again, today.

It's the twelfth day in a row it's been this wet, the rain pounding fiercely against everything.

_Why don't you ever wear the rain pants I bought you, Alice? I swear one of these days you'll be brought into the hospital with pneumonia. _That has been my dad's mantra for the past twelve days, every time I pass him, dog at my heels and lead in hand as we head out.

Our usual path through the park was waterlogged yesterday. Call me ridiculous but I have this fear that when I can't tell how deep a puddle is, I'll disappear into its depths the minute I step into it; vanish as completely as if I'd stepped off a boat into the ocean. Yesterday I survived, but today we changed our route.

The park was quiet, the only people around were the occasional runner and those prepared to get soaked for the love of their four-legged friend. He was easy to spot as he sauntered unhurriedly, hand in hand with her. I slowed down because I really didn't want them to see me. He knows how I feel about the situation, I made my feelings plain enough last time. I nearly made the call right then, but as my hand closed around my phone, I couldn't do it.

So now I sit on my bed, my legs bare and my soaked jeans draped over the chair in the corner. My phone sits next to me on the comforter; I've picked it up and put it down at least a dozen times. I hesitate, not because it isn't the right thing to do, because I fervently believe it is, but because it will be the equivalent of lighting the blue touch paper that will result in the mother of all explosions. We'll all be affected; we're all close enough to sustain the emotional shrapnel wounds from the razor sharp words and actions that will come flying out from the center of this. He knows how bad it will be. I warned him the last time.

It's _her_ I feel sorry for. She of the big, brown, doe eyes. She's almost childlike when she looks right at you, an innocence that he's stealing from her, little by little. And when I make this call, I know I'll be sounding the death knell for it.

I take a deep breath and find the strength to find the number and hit call.

"Hey, Alice! Did you want Edward? He's not home right now."

The voice is cheery and entirely unknowing.

"I know." I say, crossing my legs beneath me as I prepare to hold forth the naked flame of my knowledge. "I need to tell you something."


	14. Chapter 14

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 14

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: M (for language)

Word Count: 468

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

The bell on the door jangles violently, heralding the arrival of a customer. I idly raise my eyes from the magazine I'm reading and let out a deep sigh.

Oh, hell. It's him again.

He shuffles across the old, grey carpet, head down. I can smell him before he's even half way across the store. I raise my hand and lay the backs of my fingers against my nose for a moment, before I reluctantly give in and breathe through my mouth instead. In my head I can picture millions of tiny, foul-smelling particles being sucked into my mouth and down into my lungs until I worry I'm going to gag. I swallow and try not to let my thoughts linger over the image.

He doesn't speak as he unravels the neck of the garbage sack he holds, reaches in and places a small stack of records on the counter. His hands are dirty, and his fingernails black. I fight the urge to pull on a pair of gloves as he slides his stash over to me, hands trembling. I look up at him as I flick through the stack, but he doesn't lift his eyes from the records. I'm shocked when I realize he's actually not much older than me. I've never really looked at him, not ventured beyond the dirty skin, the fetid clothes and the dark shadows beneath his eyes. Now I've started though, I can see him clearly. Beneath the neglect, the tiredness and signs of substance abuse, there's a pair of impressively green eyes, plump lips and a chiselled jaw; maybe too chiselled – a few extra pounds wouldn't hurt him, I decide.

There's nothing special amongst what he's brought in.

"I can give you two dollars a piece," I tell him, waiting for the nod of his head before I hit the key that makes the drawer of the old cash register fly open.

"Maybe in another lifetime…" I look up, startled at the sound of his voice. It's the first time I've heard him speak. "I'm sorry." He looks directly into my eyes and I'm still wondering why he's apologizing, when he swiftly reaches over the counter and shoves me hard enough to make me fall back onto the floor in the small space.

He flinches as my head hits the wall behind me, but pauses for only a second. His hand snaps forward and reaches for the drawer, grabbing the modest amount of cash inside.

"Hey!" I yell as my brain catches up with what's going down, and I struggle to get to my feet. With one last look back, he runs from the store.

Son of a motherfucking bitch.

I look down and see a dirty handprint on the previously pristine white cotton of my shirt. Right over my heart.


	15. Chapter 15

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 15

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 486

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Do you want those marshmallows?" He reaches forward and plucks one out of the hot chocolate it's floating in, cursing as he burns his fingers in the scalding liquid.

"Ha! Serves you right!" I tell him, as he quickly ducks his head close and drops the half-melted, sticky white mess onto his tongue. He spends the next minute sucking the sweet fluff from each of his fingers in turn, while I spend it with my mouth watering, as I watch him. He's too engrossed in what he's doing, to notice how he affects me.

He always is.

"Are you sure you got it all?" I ask him sarcastically, as he sucks again on what is clearly a clean finger. He smirks.

"I'm pretty sure I have. I keep telling you, Bella, it's the best way to eat them. You should try it, instead of that prissy, spoon-scooping bullshit." He's teasing me. Hot chocolate has become our study-time tradition, and the fact I use a spoon to scoop out the marshmallows and eat them drives him crazy. "Go on, cut loose." He leans toward me, until his face is only a foot or so away from mine. "_I dare you_." The smirk is still in place, as his face clearly says he doesn't think I will.

I reach down and dip quickly in and out, fishing a soft and dripping marshmallow out of my drink with my thumb and two fingers. Tilting my head back, I suspend it above my open mouth, catching the drips with my tongue and then reaching up to lick it. I let out an exaggerated groan of pleasure, as the sweet taste spreads across my tongue. I look at Edward through hooded eyes, wondering if I have his attention now.

He's staring, eyes wide, and his throat moves as he swallows. I've never seen him so still.

I wrap my tongue around the marshmallow and separate it from my fingers, making short work of it as it all but dissolves in my mouth. I lick my lips, slowly and reverently, holding his eye until I can no longer taste the intense sugariness there. And then it's the turn of my fingers. I bring my hand up and run my tongue along the underside of my thumb. As I reach the top, I swirl my tongue all around it, before wrapping my lips around the tip, sliding it right inside my mouth and then back up. I do this a couple of times, before I move onto my fingers. By the time I'm done, he's practically salivating.

"You're right," I tell him. "That is actually pretty awesome."

He bowls into me, knocking me backward on the bed and the mug flying out of my hand. I know I should care, but I can't find it in me to.

He tastes far too sweet to worry about anything else in the world, right now.


	16. Chapter 16

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 16

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 500

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"I'm here for detention." Her voice is clear and steady. She closes my classroom door behind her and walks toward me as I sit behind my desk, marking papers.

"You're early." I glance up at the clock above the door. She shrugs and the tendrils of dark brown hair that rest on her shoulders, shift. It's mesmerizing.

"I have nowhere else to be. I'll wait." She turns to the wall displays and wanders slowly around the room, pausing often to examine them closely. I try to go back to my marking, but I can't concentrate with her in the room; her presence is verging on oppressive.

She pauses at a world map. I slip out of my chair and walk up behind her, dipping my head to breathe her in. She smells amazing.

"So many places I want to see," she murmurs as her fingers trace lines across Africa and Europe. I stand close behind her and drop my gaze to her body.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." My voice is low and cracks on the last word. She turns her head and looks up at me, curiously. Her brown eyes are wide and alluring, and her mouths drops open just a little as her eyes land on my lips.

The action bolsters my courage. I'm close enough to touch her; so I do. I crook my index finger and let my knuckle trail down her bare arm, leaving an explosion of gooseflesh in its wake. She shivers as she turns to me.

"I'm not sure…"

"Neither am I." I _am_ sure enough to lean in though, and she's sure enough to accept my mouth on hers.

It's like a spark hitting flint-dry grass. Between us, we light the mother of all wild-fires. I turn us around and push her onto a desk, letting her know how much I appreciate her legs wrapping around me in that way when I growl into her ear.

She fumbles with my zipper, and when she finally releases me I waste no time in reaching beneath her skirt. I pull her underwear to one side and tentatively explore all she promises, gasping when my fingers come away wet. Breathing heavily, she pushes herself forward. I need no further invitation.

It's fast and furious; hedonistic and primal.

And so, so fucking amazing.

It's too good to last long. Afterward, my forehead is still resting on her shoulder as we both wait for our breathing to steady, when we hear voices in the corridor. We part quickly. I hastily fasten my pants as she pushes off the desk and straightens her skirt and her hair.

The door opens and three boys walk in.

"Take a seat, guys," I tell them, crossing to my desk. "I was just leaving. Miss Swan's in charge today."

I stuff the books into my bag, grab my jacket and make for the door.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen," she says. I raise my eyebrows and she raises her lips.

"You're welcome."


	17. Chapter 17

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 17

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 499

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Hey!" I look over to the end of the counter, where the big, dark-haired boy is leaning over and calling out to me. I slide the pair of skates I'm holding into the space on the shelf and wander closer, nervous of the attention. I like being invisible, and back here, I usually am.

He's younger than I thought, I realize as I approach him. His blue eyes sparkle, and the way he's smiling at me shows off deep dimples in each of his cheeks.

"Hi…" He frowns as he reads my name badge. "Isabella." He's all smiles again, his eyes fixed back on mine. "I know you're probably busy, but my brother Edward, over there…" He stops talking to turn and point at a tall boy with reddish brown hair who has his back to us. "Well, he thinks you're cute, but the fact is he's making me come skating three times a week so he can see you…" He leans in closer as he pauses. "How about doing me a huge favour and agreeing to a date with him, so I can get a break?"

My heart is thumping in my chest and I can feel the burn in my cheeks.

"I… uh…" He's smirking as he waits for my answer. "I'd better get back to work." I turn and walk back to the pile of skates I was sorting out. I risk a glance back when I get there. He's clearly regaling his little group with his exploits and I watch his brother punch him on the arm as the other two boys with them throw back their heads and laugh.

And then Edward turns toward me.

He's beautiful and he's also coming this way.

Transfixed, I watch him approach. He makes eye contact long before he reaches the counter, so when he leans in the exact spot his brother did, I know he's come to see me.

"Can I help you?" I ask. He smiles and looks away shyly as he scratches his head.

"I just wanted to apologize for my brother, he can be an idiot."

"That's ok," I say, shrugging. He's even more beautiful up close, his skin flawless. I feel my cheeks redden again.

"But, while he _is _an idiot, he was actually speaking the truth. And so I was wondering if I could… take you out sometime?"

He's looking at me hopefully through big, green eyes. My heart is still thumping loudly in my chest and I feel a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. Still, as I look at him I can't help but think what my dad would say if I were to go out with this boy.

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Eighteen," he replies. I smile.

"The same as my son." His own smile vanishes and his eyebrows shoot up. "Thanks for the offer though," I tell him, knowing the grin on my face will be plastered there for the rest of my shift.


	18. Chapter 18

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 18

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 488

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

I see him the moment I round the corner of the house. He's sitting on a low, stone wall, the hood of his sweater pulled up over his head. He lazily smokes a cigarette as he regards the pile of leaves in front of him.

"Hey," I greet him. He smiles a little, but not enough to make me think he's particularly pleased to see me. It stings. "Are you busy? I can go if you like?" I shove my hands in my pockets and scrunch my shoulders up, thinking, not for the first time, that maybe coming here wasn't a good idea.

"Nah." He lifts the cigarette back up to his lips and pulls lazily on it. I watch, enthralled as he blows the smoke out again, squinting to stop it blowing back in his eyes. "Carlisle started ranting about me doing nothing around the house again. He threatened to take my car keys, so I thought I better do something to pacify him. He hates these fucking leaves."

I stand at the edge of the pile and stick my toe in, wanting to feel the crunch beneath my foot. When I pull it out, to my dismay it causes an untidy avalanche. My eyes widen and I look up at him.

"Oops," I say, flashing him an apologetic glance. His brow dips and there's a spark of something dangerous in his eyes.

"You didn't." He throws the cigarette to the ground as he rises to his feet with the grace of a predator. My heart thumps; once, twice, three times in quick succession.

"I… uh… I'm sorry," I murmur, backing away a step with each one he takes deliberately toward me.

He reaches the pile, looks down at the damage I inflicted and then up again at me. He shakes his head, and when he looks up again it's with something akin to disappointment.

"Oh, Bella." He looks away, but then in one swift movement, he's pulled back his leg and kicked at the pile so the leaves fly up in the air and then shower down onto me. I squeal loudly and pull my hood over my head, as thoughts of bugs and nasties fill my brain. I bend and grab an armful, flinging them in his direction as he laughs, loudly and genuinely.

"What the hell is going on here?" The voice is booming and angry. We both turn to look at the owner and I let the leaves I'm holding fall to the floor, as his eyes bore into me, chilling me within.

"Bella, go home." Edward's voice is low and venomous, and when I look at him, his shoulders have slumped and the light in his eyes has changed. He looks at me the way his father looks at him, and the guilt weighs heavily on me, as I know this whole mess is my fault.

If only I could stay away.


	19. Chapter 19

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 19

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 478

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Whose stupid idea was this?" Bella whines. I don't mind the whining, because she's also sitting on my lap and holding onto me tightly, her face buried in my neck.

"Ssshh! They'll find us if you don't keep quiet," I whisper.

"Good. I want to go home." she whimpers. I really don't. I'm more than happy sitting here with this girl on me, who normally doesn't do anything more than cast shy glances in my direction. I guess her fear of the supernatural is greater than her wariness of me. I crane my neck around the gravestone we're perched behind, and strain my eyes into the misty half-light the moon casts across the cemetery. There's a movement in the distance and a shrill scream pierces the cold night air.

Bella grips my arm tightly and I hear a strangled sound rising in her throat.

"Bella." I lift my hands to her face and force her to look at me. She's clearly terrified and I wonder why she ever agreed to play. I stroke my thumbs across her cheeks, trying to relax her enough to stop her trembling. It's not working. "There's nothing to be afraid of, there's nobody here except us kids. You have to calm down."

Her eyes are wide as she stares at me.

"I c-c-c-can't. I'm so-so-so scared." Tears begin to flow down her face and I'm filled with anger toward Alice for talking her into coming. I wipe the wet streaks from her face and keep my eyes fixed on her as she squeezes her own eyes tightly closed. As she tries to duck her face back onto me, I resist her, moving instead to place my mouth on her full, salty-wet lips. She doesn't relax against me, but she doesn't push me away either.

I start to feel bad for taking advantage of her vulnerability, but then I feel her shoulders drop a little and her mouth moves slightly beneath mine and my remorse floats away.

I move, she moves. I open, she welcomes. We meet.

She's still on my lap, and I only realize I'm unconsciously pushing up at her when she shifts on me. I fight the urge to groan out loud, and instead concentrate on pushing her back down my legs a little. I need to cool this…

"Found you!" a voice yells loudly, right next to my ear. We jump and Bella shrieks. Rosalie is just appearing around the gravestone and laughs loudly when she sees the shock still on our faces from Emmett's discovery of us. She turns to leave, but Emmett leans in, his finger pointing at me. "You'd better be glad it was me that found you, and not Alice. You get to keep your balls, Cullen," he cackles. I shudder.

"Don't worry," Bella whispers. "I'll protect you." I smile and she kisses my fears away.


	20. Chapter 20

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 20

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Angela

Rating: M

Word Count: 495

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"Fuck, marry, kill: Mike, Tyler, Eric." I sit and grin evilly, as Angela debates the options I just gave her. I notice her cheeks are glowing pink in the torchlight beneath the sheet we've pulled over our heads, in a throwback to our junior high sleepovers together.

"Ok." She picks a piece of popcorn from the bowl that sits between us and pops it into her mouth, swallowing it before she continues. "Fuck Tyler, marry Eric, kill Mike." I giggle. I knew she was in it for the long run with Eric, her choice of Tyler over Mike surprises me a little though. I'm about to ask her reasoning, when she comes straight back at me.

"Fuck, marry, kill: The Cullens." I choke on the popcorn I've just put in my own mouth, to Angela's delight.

"You have to be kidding me!" I exclaim when I can finally speak again.

"Just answer the damn question, Swan," she shoots back in mock seriousness.

"Ok, let me think." I give the subject serious thought. "Right, well Rosalie scares the shit out of me, and choosing any of these for Emmett is going to compromise my personal safety, so… I guess fucking him is the only thing that doesn't mean I've taken him from her permanently." Angela nods. I shoot her a devious smile. "Plus, a guy his size, has to be big all over, right?"

She snorts and shoves me.

"So, fuck Emmett. And are you marrying the lovely Jasper, or the extremely hot Edward?" I roll my eyes.

"Edward's a douche, as we both know."

"So you're killing him?" she asks. The thought actually hurts my heart and it obviously flashes across my face. "You're killing Jasper?" She's impatient for an answer. I don't even know why I'm taking it as seriously as I am.

"How can I kill Jasper? He's a sweetheart."

"So, marry Jasper?"

"No!" She looks at me and I crumple. "I can't do this, Ang."

"I'm sorry, B," she says. "I thought you'd think it was funny. Still raw, huh?"

"Just bad timing," I tell her. "He's due to sign the papers tomorrow."

"You having second thoughts?" she asks me, thrusting the popcorn bowl at me. I take a couple of pieces.

"And third, fourth and fifth." I nibble on the popcorn as Angela pushes the bowl out of the way and pulls me into a huge hug. "He's a douche, but he was my douche," I mumble into her shoulder, fighting tears.

"It's not too late," she says.

"I just want to be thirteen again," I moan.

"I know, honey. Me too."

A cry reaches my ear from the next room. I sigh and throw off the sheet.

"I guess we can't shut the world out with a sheet anymore," I say.

"Some things are too precious to keep shut out anyway."

As I open his bedroom door and see my chubby boy standing in his crib, I have to agree.


	21. Chapter 21

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 21

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 487

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

I have no idea how long I've been asleep. Long enough to see, when I raise myself up on the deck lounger, that you're no longer poised to dive into the pool as you were. Now all I see is a trail of wet footprints from where you hauled yourself from the water, rivulets running down your body, usually so pale but now a little sun-kissed from the hours we've spent outdoors.

As the fog of sleep clears from my head and I feel less disoriented, I look around and see Jasper reading as he lies on the next lounger along. Realization hits me, weighting my heart down.

You're not here. You never were.

"Dude, I can't watch you pining over her like this," Jasper had said when he found me curled up in my bed after we saw you all over another guy. Again. "Let's get out of here for a while. It's summer, we don't need to hang around."

So we got in his car and drove. We drove far away, where the sun shines hotter and the sky is bluer and the girls are supposed to be cuter. The trouble is, though I went far away from you, you've come with me. I can't lose you from my head and I wonder if I ever enter yours. Have you ever noticed me look your way? Do you even know I exist? You never showed me any sign of it if you did.

I drop my head back down and close my eyes. I need an escape before I drive myself crazy.

A low whistle to my right catches my attention. I turn my head and open my eyes. Jasper's leaning up, as though on guard.

"Are you ok?" I ask. Jas is always chilled, he never does ruffled, but something's definitely got him going.

"That girl." He nods toward a petite girl with short dark hair who's just laying her towel out.

"What about her?" I look over, barely interested.

"I don't know. I just…" He shakes his head. I don't think he even knows what's going on in his head. I smirk at my friend.

I'm about to lie back and close my eyes again when I see Jasper's girl waving to someone in the pool. A head of dark hair ducks beneath the water and glides through the water towards our loungers.

The escape I'd been praying for appears in the form of long, brown hair, deep brown eyes and full pink lips. She pulls herself from the water on sleek, defined arms. And then she's standing in front of me, her deep blue bikini enhancing the creaminess of her perfect skin. She shakes the drops of water from her body and turns to walk back around the pool to her friend. I have no choice. I rise and I follow the perfectly formed wet footprints that lead me right to her.


	22. Chapter 22

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 22

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Carlisle, Esme

Rating: K

Word Count: 483

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

Christmas hasn't been the same since she's been gone. I see the concern in everyone's eyes as I push away from the dinner table, even before the Christmas pudding is served.

"I'm taking Finn for a walk," I mutter, feeling the harsh stab of memories as I recall the Christmas Eve I brought him home for her.

It's mild for December, and even though it's only mid-afternoon, the light is already changing. The golden sunlight shines through the bare boughs of the tunnel of trees that line the lane, casting long shadows across the surface of the road.

I try not to let my thoughts wander to the past, instead focusing on the surrounding countryside and the shiny black Labrador that pads amiably alongside me. A pheasant shrieks and flaps into the air from the hedge-bottom just up ahead. It's then I notice her. She's running gracelessly towards me, looking back frequently. Even if it wasn't for the fact she's wearing a skirt, her demeanour makes it obvious she isn't running purely for recreational purposes.

When she sees me she picks up her pace, running flat out and only stopping when she slams her small frame into me.

"Please!" She's breathless and turns to look behind her again. I hold her at arms' length and scan my eyes over her for clues. Her feet are bare and streaked with blood and dirt, but her clothes look presentable. Her face is less so with the fresh cuts and bruises that colour it.

"Hey, it's okay," I reassure her repeatedly. She sinks against my chest and begins to cry as I stroke her hair to try and comfort her.

"I have to get away from here, he'll find me," she says between sobs.

"Someone's after you?" It's obvious really, so I'm sure why I feel compelled to ask. She nods, a look of panic in her eyes. "Come on." I grab her hand and turn, breaking into a jog as I tow her back to the house.

We burst through the front door and I slam and lock it behind us, her anxiety rubbing off on me. The whole family crowds into the hall to investigate the commotion.

"What's going on, Dad?" Edward asks me, as Bella slides into the space beside him. I try to get my breath back as I feel the woman clinging to my jacket.

"Someone's looking for her…one of you phone the police."

"No! No, please, don't ring them. Don't ask me to explain, just…please don't." I look down at her, startled at the emotion behind her response.

"What's your name?" I ask gently.

"Esme."

"Esme, you're safe now."

"You don't understand," she says, the tears flowing once more. "I'll never be safe again." I hold her tightly as my family slowly drifts away, and wonder about this woman with a tale to tell, who just ran into my life.


	23. Chapter 23

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 23

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 499

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"I can't believe you did this again," I gasp, as I wriggle to try and pull myself up the downspout that I'm convinced is far too flimsy to hold me. "Give me a boost here, would you?" Edward immediately smacks his hands onto my backside in a move I'm convinced is more for his benefit than mine. "Hey! I said give me a boost, not cop a goddamn feel." I never usually wear dresses. It's ironic I'd chosen today to break that habit.

"Sorry." I can hear the hint of amusement in his apology, and I'm guessing there's a smirk on his face. I'm considering dropping back to the ground and letting him sort his own mess out, when he pushes up on my ass and I manage to get extra few inches I need to scramble onto the tiles of the first floor roof.

I can see an open window just above the ridge, and begin a slow and careful ascent of the grey tiles. Although it's tempting to try and dislodge one and send it skittering down onto Mr_. I Forget My Keys All the Time_'s head, I decide I like Carlisle and Esme Cullen too much to deliberately damage their property. Even if their son does have infuriating memory issues.

Finally, I reach the sill and pull myself up. As my eyes draw level with the glass, I freeze. There on the bed is Edward's brother Emmett, bare white backside on full display to me and a pair of legs wrapped around his waist. I duck back down and scoot away from the window.

"What are you doing?" Edward calls out from the ground. I turn and flap my hands to try and get him to shut up, pointing frantically to the window. I can tell he has no idea what I'm trying to convey, when a loud groan drifts from the window. I watch as his eyes open wide and a look of realization passes over his face, before he cracks up laughing. Nice.

"Come on back down," he whisper-yells, although to be honest, from the sounds I'm hearing behind me now, I doubt anything could disturb those two. I eye the ground dubiously. I've never had an issue with climbing up places, but descents make me nervous. He urges me forward and I shift slightly. I move one foot, but when I go to move the other, I slip a little. My heart thumps in my chest and I quickly shuffle back to where I was. He tries to encourage me down again, but I shake my head fervently. There's no way I'm going back down the way I came. I'll wait.

Edward's rolling his eyes at me, but I can hear the…activity behind me has reached a crescendo.

"That was great," the girl says breathlessly. I pray she's in a hurry to be somewhere else, but my hopes are dashed when Emmett speaks up.

"Give me five minutes, baby and we'll go again."


	24. Chapter 24

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 24

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 486

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"You know there are fish in there? You'd better watch out or they might bite your toes." I turn around in the ankle-deep water to see a tall, lanky boy who looks about thirteen. He's bending down, collecting stones.

"I've been in this lake thousands of times," I tell him, my nose in the air. "I've never been bitten yet."

"You must have been lucky. My Grandma got her toe bitten clean off in there." He nods seriously at the water. I roll my eyes.

"Do you know there's a fish in the Amazon that swims up into your penis if you pee in the river? The only way to get it out is surgery." He winces and I look away, smiling smugly. "It swims right up there and it has spiky fins, and it sticks them in." I flick my fingers out, like spines, for extra impact. "And it just sits there and grows right inside of you."

I glance at him again and he looks as though he's in physical discomfort. I throw my head back and laugh. He looks at me quizzically and a smile grows on his face.

"Ha! Good one. You actually had me going there for a minute." He laughs, too and I stop.

"I wasn't kidding," I tell him, matter-of-factly. He stops and steps closer to the water, skimming one of his stones across the surface of the water.

"That's disgusting."

Neither of us speak for a while. He continues to skim stones, while I paddle gently, enjoying the cool water. I'm now also keeping a watchful eye out for fish.

"Do you have the time?" I ask eventually, breaking the silence. He checks his wristwatch.

"Five-thirty."

"Shoot, I'm late." I walk quickly out of the water, untucking my skirt from where I'd bunched it into my underwear at the sides to hitch it up.

"What's your name?" he asks me, stopping his stone-skimming to watch me as I stoop to pick up my shoes and socks up from the shore.

"Bella." I glance up, suddenly hit by a bout of self-consciousness now he's turned his full attention to me.

"Do you go to school here, Bella?" he asks.

"Uh-huh." I'm torn. I have to get home, but I don't want to leave while he's talking to me. He's cute, I decide, once you look beyond the shock of messy, copper hair.

"I start on Monday. Maybe I'll see you there?" He sounds kind of hopeful and my stomach flips.

"You just moved here?" I ask. I really should be halfway home by now.

"Yeah, we moved to be close to my grandma. She can't get about too well now. You know, since the incident with the fish."

He's teasing me, but I can't help grinning back at him.

"See you at school," I say with a wave as I turn for home, still smiling.


	25. Chapter 25

The Twilight Twenty-Five

thetwilight25 dot com

Prompt: # 25

Pen Name: GemmaH

Pairing/Character(s): Bella, Edward

Rating: K

Word Count: 470

Photo prompts can be found here:

thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts

* * *

"So, what do you think?" I proudly hand her the print, and smile as I wait for her words of praise. Instead she lets out a loud and unladylike snort.

"I think it's just about the cheesiest thing I've ever seen," she says, still smirking as she casts me a disbelieving look. "This is a joke, right? Tell me you didn't pay anyone to come up with this." She flicks it back at me and I catch it. I look at it through new eyes, taking in the train tracks, the suitcase that can only possibly be holding a change of underwear and socks, and the homemade cardboard 'be home soon' sign.

"You don't think it's an option for the album artwork then?" I enquire.

"I'm sorry, I thought you liked your career," she shoots back. Ouch.

"Shit." I flop down, letting the print drift to the floor. Bella crawls onto my lap and I wrap my arms around her.

"Do you really have to go away?" she asks. I know she's pouting, I can hear it in her voice.

"You know I do. Just long enough to sign the contract and lay a few tracks down."

"I hate this. I want you to do well, but if you do, I know this will get worse."

"If I do well, I promise you can be with me all the time. I just can't afford to look after us both right now."

"You look like you can't afford to look after yourself," she tells me, poking her finger through a hole in my old flannel shirt.

"Hey!" I protest. "This is my favorite. It has sentimental value." She smiles and holds my face so she can kiss me.

"I'm scared you'll find someone else out there. LA is full of beautiful girls."

"I don't want a beautiful girl, I want you," I tell her. I lean in to kiss her but she pulls away, looking at me accusingly.

"Okay, bad choice of words," I acquiesce. "I don't want _any other _beautiful girl. Just you. Better?"

"Yes." She smiles and snuggles in against me.

"Let's hope you can snag a photographer with some good ideas as part of your contract," she says.

"It's really that bad?"

"Yes. What's it even supposed to mean? Who's the sign for? And you sure as hell won't be home soon if you carry on squatting on train tracks like that." She prods me in the ribs and I tickle her in return.

I hope LA isn't all it's made out to be, because I don't want my head turning and my priorities changing. How conflicting to want things to be better and to stay the same, all at the same time. I wonder if it's possible to have a new beginning without anything having to end.

* * *

**A/N - So, this is the end! I never thought when I was press-ganged into joining up *coughChocaholic123&SparrowNotes24cough* that I would probably finish this. I know I can thank those girls for the fact that I did - especially when Choc was running alongside, stretched out a metaphorical hand and dragged me along. I'd never written a flash before I signed up for this and I was under the impression that I couldn't write from picture prompts. I guess I laid that myth to rest :).**

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, I'm a self-confessed review h00r, so thanks for feeding my addiction!**

**A final thanks to the Twilight 25 team :)**

**Gemma x**


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